The musings, recipes and adventures of a girl that loves to eat

Maple Apple Ginger Cake

When I was in Peace Corps (if I had a nickel for every time I started a sentence with that phrase…) I ate a lot of apples. Every autumn my host family would go out into the orchards to pick large quantities of apples, and then they would be stored in the cellar all winter long. It was the only fresh fruit you would eat all winter long, unless you went to the market. But chances were, unless you lived in a city, there was no market near-by and apples were all there was. And that’s why I’m no stranger to eating preserves out of the jar with a spoon. There would be nights were my host mom wouldn’t cook dinner, so I would sit there and eat apples until I wasn’t hungry anymore. Oh, the memories. Anyways, now I don’t really like apples anymore. I’ll eat them under duress, and they’re not my favorite.

That said, we do buy apples, since Nate likes them (he lived in a city while we were in Moldova, so he had options) and they make for a healthy, durable snack. But still, hands-down, the best way to eat apples is baked into a yummy cake or pie. I saw this recipe and knew it would be a perfect way to use up the old-ish apples that I’d been avoiding eating .

I already had all the ingredients at home, so the cake took about 15 minutes to make, and the end result was super moist and flavorful. It’s also one of those cakes that can be eaten for breakfast or dessert, which is nice too. Although I’ve never really let conventional guidelines stop me from eating actual cake (you know, with frosting) or any other “dessert” for breakfast. Either way, this cake is much better than eating apples raw!

I added “ginger nibs” (little pieces of candied ginger) to the cake, and they make the cake a lot more gingery. Plus it adds a little texture. If you’re not a super-huge ginger fan, you can leave it out. Also, make sure to flour the pan, since otherwise it might stick. And as someone who has had more than one bundt cake stick to a pan, I can tell you that it is very sad when that happens.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking power and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by maple syrup, vanilla extract and fresh ginger. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream, followed by the remaining half of the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir in diced apples and candied ginger, then pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake will spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool cake in pan, then use a knife to loosen it from the sides. Invert cake onto a large plate, then reinvert onto a serving plate or cake keeper before serving.